Jaded
by My kind of fun
Summary: Another charity event Jaded had to attend. He was certain he would be bored to death! Little did he know what destiny would throw his way.
1. Chapter 1

Jaded is one of my favorites and since he hasn't got his own story by now, I helped myself. ;-)

Hope you enjoy it!

*might contain spoilers*

* * *

»I hate males that don't understand the meaning of no,« Jaded muttered under his breath. He narrowed his eyes and forced himself not to storm over and yank that human away from the woman he talked at.

Justice looked up from his smartphone and followed his friend's eyes. His excellent hearing quickly caught the conversation. »No! I won't dance with you, Bob,« the female declared angrily. »Not today - not tomorrow nor on any other day. Just leave me alone, will you?«

Justice shook his head slightly. He leaned over to Simon Leeson, the head of the NSO law team and jerked his chin in the direction of the female. »Do you know who she is?«

Simon nodded. »Ashley Hamilton, the new district attorney. Haven't checked her background completely yet. All I know is she left Philly a few weeks ago and she's pro New Species. Which is really good for us because she's tough counterpart. I prefer to have her on our side.« The older man cleared his throat and grinned. »She's a real beauty, isn't she?«

»Indeed,« Justice agreed and studied the human female. She was unusually tall. Round about six feet one he assumed. Her slender legs seemed endless. »She looks rather like a model than an attorney.«

»Oh, she used to model to put herself through university. That's public so far. And it leads people to underestimate her. But they couldn't be more wrong, believe me. She's good at what she does.«

Justice nodded. When Simon said, she was _good_ , it meant she was brilliant. Exactly what he needed to put his plan into action. He'd surely keep an eye on her.

Jaded listened closely. Since the charity event had begun he was unable to take his eyes of her. _Ashley!_ The name fit her. It sounded like music to him. Her updo hairstyle emphasized her swan neck. She wore a tight black cocktail dress which hugged her slender form. Every movement of her body was graceful. Human males lingered near her just waiting for a chance. But why the hell didn't any of them intervene while this ‚Bob' continued to molest her. He'd never understand humans completely.

Ashley scanned the room and tried to ignore her colleague. He already had a bit too much and was even more annoying than usual. At a table in a corner sat two New Species males with man in his late fifties. Their counselor she assumed since this was held by the bar association. One of the males was busy with his smartphone while the other glanced her way. Which didn't surprise her at all since she drew attention wherever she appeared. The room was too dark and crowded to really see them but she was sure the Species were handsome. All of them were tall guys with broad shoulders and full of muscles. Although their features differed from humans, she found them appealing. Especially she saluted Justice North. Not only for his looks but what he'd achieved for his people in a record time. Her husband Sam used to tease her and told her to stop drooling when she raved over the NSO leader. She met Sam at a demonstration in DC for New-Species-Rights about five years ago. She remembered the shock when she first heard about Mercile Industries. She just got her degree as an attorney-at-law. Hearing what they'd done to those poor people made everything she believed in begin to totter. She wanted them free and so did Sam. A soft smile crossed lips. So she'd ought to be grateful to the New Species to set her up with him. Bob snorted and reality returned.

»Ah! Come on Ashley!« Losing his patience, he grabbed her upper arm and tried to drag her out of her chair to the dance-floor.

Jaded snarled as he saw the human trying to force the female to stand.

»Enough!« He jumped out of his chair and swiftly crossed the dance-floor. As he reached her table, he plastered a smile on his face that could have lit a fucking Christmas tree. »Good evening, Ms. Hamilton,« he said in fake surprise and held out his hand for her to take. »What a pleasure to meet you here. Welcome to California. When did you leave Philly?« He winked at her and immediately saw understanding dawning in her beautiful features. She wiggled her arm out of the man's hold.

»The pleasure is all mine, sir. What a wonderful coincidence,« she stood and shook his hand with a smile that would easily melt a stone. »I just moved in and still am trying to settle.«

He liked her deep voice and her big blue eyes. She wore high heels that made her even taller. Her height could easily rival a Species female. And her skin looked like peaches and cream. _Yummy..._ »May I have this dance, ma'am? You owe me one, remember?«

She left her slender hand in his and nodded gracefully. »Of course. As if I'd forget.«

Bob's mouth fell open as Jaded led her to the dance-floor and started swaying with her. She drew a deep breath and blew it out. »Thank you very much for coming to my rescue.«

»You're welcome,« he grinned. »In fact I loathe males that force themselves upon females.«

»Well,« she winced. »Bob is my colleague. He thinks every woman... um...« She remembered Species preferred different terms. »Every female without a mate is fair game.«

Jaded swung her around. _She's single!_ His instincts kick started. And dancing with her was exciting. They quickly found their own rhythm. »That's bad news. So who's coming to your aid tomorrow?«

She shrugged and her amazing dark blue eyes sparkled with amusement. »Right now I'm happy that a knight in shining armor rode by and saved the damsel in distress.«

Jaded burst out in laughter. _Hell!_ He really had a crush on smart females. If he had to choose he'd always pick brains over looks. She had both! A rare combination. »I'm sorry to underachieve but I'm no knight. If you'd ask your colleague he'd probably say we're ‚ _The Beauty and the Beast_ '.«

Ashley shook her head and a dark blonde strand slipped out of her bun to caress her neck. It made her look sexy as hell.

»I don't care what Bob says and neither should you. You're my hero tonight!« She laughed and patted his shoulder where her hand lay.

The next song the band played was _Lady in red_ and she pressed her body closer to him. He inhaled deeply. She smelled good enough to eat and his body responded immediately. If he wouldn't be careful he'd end up with an erection. _Stop it_ , he ordered himself. _She's the district attorney and not looking for a male to share sex with._

»By the way," she drew his attention back to her. "Since you know my name, wouldn't it be fair to let yours be known, my lord?«

»Jaded,« he replied with a soft smile. »At your service, my lady.«

»Nice to meet you, Jaded. I'm Ashley.«

 _I know..._ He closed his eyes, slid his arm around her waist and held her close. _Damn!_ Suddenly he understood what was going on in all the mated males' heads. If she was his mate, he'd take her home, toss her into bed and lick every single inch of her beautiful body. She'd moan while he'd pleasure her and finally she'd scream his name. A soft purr escaped him.

Surprised Ashley put a little space between them and arched a brow. »Was that you?«

He grinned sheepishly. »Um... Yes... I'm Feline Species. I do this sometimes when I'm feeling comfortable.«

It amused her as his pronounced Species cheekbones turned slightly pink. _A purring man!_ _That's sooo_ c _ute!_ »I think I like that.« She leaned her head against his shoulder. He was really special. Again his broad shoulders and chest vibrated softly. Ashley closed her eyes and let him lead the dance. She'd never been so close to a Species but it felt good. He made her feel... protected. After the horrible start of the evening with Bob constantly harassing her, Jaded's presence was soothing. It's been far too long since strong loving arms had held her tight. Four endless years to be precise. Four years of suppressing every single need and desire a woman had for the benefit of the only thing that was left of the love of her life. The music ended which threw her back into reality. His fascinating green cat-like eyes met hers. As he broke the contact, she saw the other male approach. _Good gracious!_ She swallowed. _That's Justice North!_ She'd often seen him on the news and was impressed by his grace and dignity but in person he was awe-inspiring. He smiled at her offering his hand and she shook it. Standing between those two big Species males made her feel small and fragile for the first time in her life. Normally she towered over men.

»Ma'am?« he said and bowed slightly. »I apologize for the interruption but the NSO has some legal issues we'd like to discuss with you. I assume, you're more open for our problems than your colleague Robert Savage.«

»Certainly! I'll use my best endeavors to help you out, sir.«

»Justice,« he corrected with a charming smile.

»Thank you, Justice. You may call me Ashley.« She held out her hand for him to take. But instead of shaking it again, he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

Jaded's anger flared. He heard her heart beating faster. She was obviously flattered. »Stop flirting with her,« he snarled. Ashley turned her head to him looking stunned.

Justice frowned as Jaded flashed his fangs. Suddenly a broad grin appeared on the NSO leader's face. »Welcome to my world, brother.« He turned to the human female again. »Thank you for your time, Ashley. My secretary will call your office tomorrow. I'm looking forward to talk to you soon. Good night.« He spun on his heel and left.

A new song started and Jaded saw Bob approach planning to cut in. _Not gonna happen!_ »Would you like to have drink with me, Ashley?,« he asked and pointed to the bar.

She nodded and he walked her over with his hand touching her lower back. It felt good to be guided by him.

They sat on the stools and he ordered cherry sodas. The bartender brought their drinks and Jaded turned towards her.

»Tell me something about you,« he said with an interested look on his face.

Ashley shrugged. »What would you like to know?«

»For example, why a female like you is single.«

She leaned in closer. »Because I am no noblewoman but a witch,« she whispered.

»Are you?« He couldn't help but smile. »Now I'm curious! What kind of spell do you cast upon males?« He placed his elbow on the bar and rested his chin in his hand.

»I can make them disappear,« she snapped her fingers. »Just like that.«

»How?« He straightened himself. She definitely had his attention.

»By telling them, there's a young lady waiting for me at home.«

Jaded frowned letting her words sink in. Suddenly Ashley saw understanding dawning in his features. _Right! That's it._ She knew this expression on a man's face far too well and should be used to it. But this time it disappointed her. He was drool-worthy handsome with the most amazing green eyes she'd ever seen in her life. And he had a kind and warm personality. Plus he was an intelligent dialog partner. A man every woman would throw herself at. But now he'll be gone quicker than a bolt of lighting strikes. She sighed. _What'll be your excuse? Oh wait... Let me guess... Justice needs you?_

»I'm sorry,« he said with a sad tone in his warm deep voice.

That absolutely baffled her. »For what?«

»For not taking into consideration you might prefer females.«

 _What?_ »No!« She was shocked. »You misunderstood me. I'm not lesbian.«

Jaded blinked confusedly. She appeared insulted but he didn't know where he lost her. She laid her hand on his lower arm and smiled patiently. He stood back from the desire to take her hand, lift it to his lips and caress her palm with his tongue, while inhaling her scent.

»I'm the one to be sorry, Jaded. I forgot that Species prefer bluntness.« She avoided his gaze and breathed deeply before she carried on. »I have a child. A four year old girl.«

He opened his mouth to speak but closed it and pondered instead what he just heard. »And that's a deal breaker for humans?,« he asked not seeming to believe her.

She shrugged. »It is - at least for the ones I've met so far.«

»That's weird. I'd be happiest male in the world if my mate came with a child. I love kids.« _And since I can only sire sons I'd love your girl like my own_. In his imagination he saw himself scaring off an adult Forest because he went after his gorgeous daughter who resembled her mother. He bit back a grin. »What about her father? Did he leave you?« Human males sometimes did this because they avoided commitments as he experienced. Something he'd never understand.

She shook her head. »Not at all! He loved me! Unfortunately he died before Hope was born.«

So her daughter's name was Hope. »I see... You have my sympathy.« She really did! Smiling at him and gave him an acknowledging nod. But her smile was mixed with pain. Obviously she was still hurting over her dead mate. _Come with me, sweetheart! I'll dry all your tears and ease away the agony._ Staring into her eyes he was willing to drown in this deep blue sea. Long seconds ticked by and the world stood still. His nostrils flared and he inhaled her scent. _So sweet!_ The animal inside him instantly roared to life. _Mine!_ She was the one he waited for. His Species side wanted to toss her over his shoulder and run off with her. No doubt she tasted as good as she smelled. His pants became uncomfortable tight by the thought of her long, slender legs wrapped around him.

Ashley was tempted to ask him to stay the night. Tempted to give in to desire. The desire to be a woman with needs once again. And for some reason she knew he'd satisfy her needs and fulfill her dreams. But of course that wasn't going to happen. She was a responsible mother and her only concern was her little girl. Although she might regret not surrendering to him tonight since life could be over in a heartbeat. She'd been there before. In one second she had a husband, a family and a future – in the next she had nothing at all. Destiny was a bitch! It left her a baby that depended on her, which was the one and only reason to go on with her life. The only constant preventing her from putting a bullet into her brain. It was something they had in common. They both had suffered in the past! Though all Species had endured unspeakable pain that made her fate look like a kid's game. She could imagine why he picked the name ‚Jaded'.

»Another drink, sir?« the bartender asked.

The magic of this intense moment was gone. She looked confused and blinked.

Did she feel the charm as well? He'd swear her heart rate accelerated slightly but he was too distracted by his own thoughts. She licked her lips and he believed she wanted to kiss him.

Instead she viewed her watch. »It's nearly twelve o'clock. Time for Cinderella to lose her shoe and leave the party.«

He chuckled. »Go ahead! Drop it. I'll find Cinderella and return her shoe.«

»Actually I told the babysitter I'll be home around twelve.«

He nodded still grinning. »You want me to accompany you and call a cab?«

»Thanks but that's not necessary. I've got my pumpkin parked outside.«


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Justice and Jaded had breakfast with Simon. While Justice was being his usual business self and kept answering phone calls, Jaded didn't eat much. In fact, he wasn't hungry at all. Simon was talking at him but his words didn't reach him. His thoughts traveled to the human female he met yesterday. He remembered everything about her: her dark blue eyes, her sensuous lips, her small waist and long legs... The way she moved her hips while dancing with him... She surely caused the males at the party wet dreams last night. At least he'd had one. He took a deep breath and sighed. Her scent seemed to linger in his nose. Suddenly he realized the room was silent. He looked up and saw Justice and Simon staring at him. His brows furrowed. »What?« he snapped.

»I've seen that look on your face about a dozen times now,« Simon grinned and turned to Justice who firmly pressed his lips together to hide his own smile. »You looked the same way when you fell for Jessie.« He gestured to Jaded.

»I know,« Justice nodded and chuckled. »I made a complete fool of myself.«

Jaded's anger rose. »What do you want from me? I was just being polite,« he insisted.

»Don't flirt with her,« Justice snarled and arched a brow. »Does this sound familiar?«

Jaded shot him a dirty look that made Justice burst out in laughter. »You _really_ should see your face now! Priceless!«

Jaded rolled his eyes. »I danced with Ms. Hamilton; did some small talk and had a drink with her. End of the story! And just in case it escaped you: I didn't share sex with her.«

»So?« Justice leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his broad chest. »I didn't need to share sex with Jessie to know she rocked my entire world and I'd never be the same.«

Justice expressed exactly how Jaded felt. _But still..._

»I know what's going on in your head, young man,« Simon interfered. »When I met my wife, it was love at first sight. I knew she was the one for me. It happens to humans also.«

»You guys aren't helping,« Jaded growled, jumped up and stomped out of the room. The remaining two men winced as the door slammed behind him.

»Poor boy,« Simon said and shook his head. »He has it hard.«

Justice pursed his lips. Jaded had obviously fallen for Ashley. And by what he could tell so far she wasn't disaffected. Actually, they made a wonderful pair. He needed to set them up somehow and already had an idea. Justice grinned. He still hadn't forgiven Jaded completely for mocking him at the party with the other council members a few years ago. It made him claim Jessie all right but it had hurt his alpha pride. He arched a brow. _Payday, Jaded!_

* * *

Ashley got herself a cup of coffee as she found Bob lurking around.

His eyes narrowed. »I didn't know you're an animal lover, Ashley.«

 _And you're an absolute stinker!_ »Mind your own business,« she hissed and rushed to her office. After she slammed the door behind her, she leaned against it and closed her eyes. Working with Robert Savage - nomen est omen! - was horrific. He already told her she must be missing _something_ since she's been a widow for years. _Ugh!_ She wouldn't let him touch her even if he was the last man on earth! And by calling Jaded and Justice _animals,_ he didn't win her favor at all. Jaded had been a perfect gentleman... besides the strange sounds of purring and snarling he made. She didn't blame him. He didn't ask to have his DNA altered, it just had been done to him. She'd be happy to meet him somewhere again but the chances were slim to none. He lived in the NSO territories – Homeland or Reservation... she didn't ask. He wouldn't just drive by and invite her to have lunch with him. Her phone rang. She quickly walked to her desk, leaned over and took the call.

»Ashley Hamilton here.«

» _Office of Mr. Justice North. Good day to you, Ms. Hamilton_ ,« a friendly female voice said. » _Mr. North authorized me to make an appointment with you. How about tomorrow?_ «

She quickly checked her datebook. »Is it very urgent? I'm at court the whole day until late afternoon.«

» _Hold the line please..._ «

Ashley heard the woman cup the phone and talk to someone with a deep male voice but she couldn't catch the conversation.

» _Ms. Hamilton?_ «

»Yes?«

» _Thanks for your patience._ _The issue Mr. North wishes to discuss is indeed very urgent. It's the case of the new discovered Gift female. What about tomorrow around 6 pm? He'll send you a car that takes you to Reservation and he invites you to dinner with his mate afterwards._ «

Ashley smiled. Tomorrow was Friday. So why not? Life could be over in a heartbeat. She experienced it firsthand. »Please tell him I'm honored and looking forward to meet his wife.«

» _Certainly! The NSO will pick you up at court. We'll send one of our human employees. Have a nice day._ «

»Thanks! You too.« The line disconnected.

 _The Gift female! Hell!_ Her antecessor left the thick file for her. Now she had to read it at home tonight. _Wonderful! Thanks Justice! You made my day!_

* * *

»Thanks Breeze,« Justice grinned. »You owed me this.«

»I hope she's worth it.« The Species female eyed him suspiciously.

»She is. You have my word. I wouldn't let Jaded run off a cliff.«

Jessie walked up to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. »She has a child you said? A female?«

»Yes! I had Simon check her. She lost her family in an air crash.«

»You mean she lost her mate,« Breeze corrected.

»No!« he insisted. »Her _whole_ family! Father, mother, brother, sister... everyone!«

Silence fell. Breeze and Jessie stared at him utterly shocked.

»They were on their way to the wedding of her mate's brother in Vegas when the pilot lost control and crashed the plane. No one survived,« he explained.

Jessie swallowed. »Oh my God... Poor thing... I don't envy her.«

»Why wasn't _she_ on that plane as well?« Breeze asked.

»She was in the latter part of her pregnancy and the doctor didn't allow her to fly. When she'd gotten the message she went into preterm delivery.«

»But her cub is healthy, isn't she? Oh please, Justice... Tell me she is,« Breeze pleaded.

»Yeah, don't worry. She was only 14 days early.«

»What a horrible fate,« Jessie murmured and slightly shook her head. »Do you know her daughter's name?«

He nodded. »Her name's Hope.«

Jessie smiled, leaned into Justice and he hugged her close. »I'm sure she chose this name on purpose,« she said. »I like that name by the way.«

Breeze grinned. »So do I! That name is all Species!«

* * *

It was six thirty as a NSO officer escorted Ashley to the meeting room.

»Mr. North and the others will see you in a few minutes,« he told her and left.

She threw the file and her briefcase on the table and started to pace the room slowly. What she read last night was pure terror. The bastard who held the Gift captive was a pervert and rotten to the core. She glanced at the big mirror and resisted to check her makeup. She was pretty sure, it was two-way and she was being observed.

* * *

»I'm glad I met you before she did, Justice. She's just freaking gorgeous,« Jessie admitted and studied the woman through the two-way glass with a frown. Justice told her Ashley was a beauty but that didn't even come close. On a scale from one to ten, she was a twelve! The woman she saw wore a dark blue well-tailored business suit and a white blouse, which made her even more feminine than she already was. Silky looking dark blonde hair fell to her shoulders in soft waves and those legs should at least be a crime of some kind. Mother Nature wasn't fair at all! She glanced around and saw four males gawking. Fury, Slade, Brawn and Tiger - all of them speechless! _Rare!_ She bit back a grin. Justice was smart enough to bring no unmated males in here.

He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. »You know I love you and I'm all yours,« he whispered with a charming smile and she returned it. _Yeah!_ She knew! He simply worshiped the ground she walked on.

»You sure you want to listen?« he asked.

Jessie nodded. »The gifts are still a concern of mine.«

»I'm aware of that, baby, but you won't like what you'll hear.«

»I won't come apart, so stop being your overprotective alpha self,« she hissed and punched his abs.

He chuckled. »When _you_ stop being stubborn.«

»Dream on, Mr. North,« she smirked.

Justice straightened and grinned at the other males. »All right... Showtime! Let's go talk to her.«

* * *

The door flew open and Justice North strolled in, followed by four big Species males.

»My apology for the delay, Ashley. Thanks for coming,« he smiled and gestured to the others. »I'd like you to meet Fury, my second in command; Slade, the one in charge of Reservation; Brawn as representative of our council and Tiger, the head of security. Since we all chose the last name North, it's easier we go by our first names.«

She shook hands with all of them. »So pleased to meet you, gentlemen,« she said with a winning smile and meant it. Every male wore a wedding band she noticed. _Interesting..._

»The pleasure is ours,« Fury answered. Pulling back a chair, he motioned for her to sit. »Have a seat please, Ms. Hamilton.«

»Ashley,« she corrected. »Thank you.« She sat and all males seated themselves opposite of her. Five utterly handsome Species watched her with a mixture of curiosity and interest. Most people would get nervous being surveyed like that, but not her. Since she'd been a teenager, men did nothing else than eye her up. Leaning forward she placed her elbows on the table and folded her hands. »Well? How can I help you?«

Brawn straightened his shoulders. »Did you read the report of the Gift?« he asked.

She nodded. »Oh yes, sir, I did.« She cleared her throat. »To be honest I had hard time falling asleep last night. Did _you_ read the whole report?« All males shook their heads. That's what she figured!

Slade shifted in his chair. »We assume you're aware that your office wants her as witness for the prosecution. Our PR team thinks it's a good idea because it would be well received amongst public.«

»And I take it you want my point of view since I'm one of those prosecutors she might has to deal with?« They nodded in response and she met their intense gazes. »May I speak openly?«

»Please do,« Fury answered. »We depend on your sincerity.«

»As a district attorney I'd have to admit your PR team is right. It would show the world what you all endured.« She paused. »And I will prepare her thoroughly of course.«

Brawn narrowed his eyes and cocked his head. »But?«

»As a woman... or female if you wish... I appeal to you not to force her to relive what's been done to her.«

Tiger scowled. »Why do I suddenly feel the urge to rip that fucker's head off?«

She opened her briefcase and handed each of them a piece of paper. »Read this and you'll understand.«

Vicious snarls and growls filled the room. They read how the bastard tortured the Gift with cigarettes and used knives on her. Five pairs of eyes peered at her in shock.

»It's not even the worst part, believe me,« Ashley stated. »If you desire my blunt assessment: Handle it yourself. Out of my experience, he'll only get a few years. However, the worst-case scenario is that he'll go free which would be a slap in the face of all New Species. Parole or a suspended sentence isn't any better. So please don't put her through this trial. Either way I'm sure you'll break her finally.«

»I assure you we won't. Thanks for your candor, Ashley,« Justice said deeply moved. »I knew we could count on you.« The other males nodded in agreement and stood. Ashley followed their example.

»Tiger will take you to the cafeteria and I'll pick you up there soon. You might understand we have something to debate.«

»Of course, Justice. I'm looking forward to meet your wife,« she smiled and gave the others a quick nod. »Gentlemen?«

Tiger opened the door and led her out. She left with mixed emotions. Actually, she hoped for Jaded to show up. But she forced herself to scale down her expectations. Maybe he had come to the conclusion that he didn't want to deal with a single mother and decided to avoid her. She couldn't blame him.

Justice, Brawn, Slade and Fury remained in the meeting room. Silence grew heavy.

»If the NSO will ever set up a legal department we should hire her to run it,« Slade finally said.

»That's a good idea because we still discover Gifts,« Brawn agreed. »It's easier for a female counselor to reach them.«

» _And_ ,« Justice stretched the word and drew their attention. »Simon said she's _good_ which actually means she's a fuckin' genius.«

Fury took a deep breath. »I'll tell the PR tomorrow morning that we won't do anything to upset the Gift.«

Justice sighed. »They won't like it.«

Fury shot him a glance. »Do I look as if I give a shit?«

A second later Jessie stood in the doorframe. »Do I want to know what you just read?« she asked.

Justice shook his head. »No, you don't.«


	3. Chapter 3

Tiger parked the Jeep and ushered her inside. Not many Species attended the cafeteria as he led her to a table. Still the tall human female immediately caught the attention of the few that were there. _Of course she does!_ Tiger heard them sniffing and inhaling her scent and couldn't blame them. To call her an eye catcher was probably the understatement of the year! After seating her, Tiger walked into the middle of the room and looked around.

»The female's under my protection,« he declared. »Lay a finger on her and you'll lose your arm! Am I clear?«

The Species males lowered their gazes. _Good boys!_ He returned to her. »I'm so sorry, Ashley, but I have to leave but I'll be back in less than five minutes. Duty calls, you know?« he apologized.

»I understand. Take your time,« she smiled.

He gave her a quick nod, spun on his heel and headed for the door. Outside the building, he drew out his phone and dialed Bestial's number.

» _Damn, Tiger! That took ages! Jaded is growing leery. I'm running out of excuses!_ «

» I'm fine too, thanks for asking,« Tiger answered.

» _Shut up! I'm not in the mood. Can we come over?_ «

»Yes! I go and get Justice meanwhile. Let's get Jaded hooked up.«

» _Okay!_ «

* * *

None of the Species dared to shoot her a glance. She bit back a grin. It would be great if Tiger could handle Bob the same way. Pulling her smartphone out of her briefcase, she started checking her messages. One came from the babysitter saying Hope had fever and cried for hours now. _Damn!_ She had to cancel the dinner and hurry home. _The front gate!_ She needed to get there somehow and tell the guards she had an emergency at home and leave a message for Justice. He'd surely understand - or at least she hoped he did. She jumped out of her chair and stormed outside where she bumped into a hard body.

»Oops!« The male chuckled.

»I'm sorry, sir,« she muttered and took a step aside. _What the f..._ Was that a tail?

»Can I help you?« he asked.

She stared at him with wide eyes. _Get it together_ , she ordered herself and cleared her throat. »Yes please. Can you show me the way to the front gate?«

»Sure,« he gestured in a direction. »It's that way. Take my golf cart to get there quicker. You seem to be in a hurry.« He held out the keys.

»I am. Thanks!« She grabbed them, headed for the cart, jumped in the driver seat and drove off.

Leo looked after her and chuckled again. »You won't go on Justice's nerves anymore, honey.«

* * *

»Damn!« Ashley hit the brakes. It was dark already and the forest grew narrow and still. No sign of the front gate! Either she took a wrong turn in her headlessness or 'Mr. Tail' inadvertently led her in the wrong direction. Suddenly a light lit up behind the trees. She drove the cart towards the light and found a house with a garden. Jumping out the cart, she quickly crossed the garden and knocked on the door. »Excuse me? I've lost my way! Can you help me please?«

She heard heavy footsteps and the door swung open. A tall figure stood in the doorway. She couldn't see his face because he had the light in his back.

»I'm sorry for disturbing you, sir. I'm searching for the front gate,« she said.

She heard the male sniffing and suddenly snarling. Her anger rose and she put her hands on her hips. »Listen! I told you I'm sorry for disturbing. Just tell me which way to go and you'll get rid of me.«

»No male scent,« he growled.

Unexpectedly his hands darted out, grabbed her upper arms and dragged her into his house. The door slammed shut. She stumbled but managed to keep her stance. Spinning around she looked at a baldheaded Species male who slowly approached her with a grim look on his face. »I'm claiming you!«

She watched him with wide eyes, understanding lacking. »Claiming me? What does that mean?«

»It means you're mine now. I'll make you my mate and keep you. You'll be living here with me.« He took a step closer and lifted his hand as if to stroke her cheek.

 _What?_ Adrenaline flooded her body and she slapped his hand away. »I will surely not stay with you! Never in a million years! And don't you dare to touch me!« Clenching her fists, she shouted the words at him.

He seemed surprised and inhaled deeply. »You carry no male scent. I will protect you from now on. I promise I won't hurt you. Please don't fear me.«

Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms. »Do I look afraid of you, jackass? Do I look as if I need protection?«

He blinked. _Honestly? Not at all!_ On the contrary! She was ready to jump at him and attack. The situation was odd. Everybody feared him - especially females. But not this one. _Why?_ Additionally... She was tall for a human and her rage rivaled a Species female.

Ashley was about to freak out! Her girl was in pain and she had to talk to some moron babbling about wanting to claim her. She took a deep breath, counted to ten and slowly approached him. »Listen…« She struggled hard to drag her reasonable lawyer to the surface and forced her voice to calm. »I'm sincerely honored that you chose me to be your mate, which is some kind of proposal I guess. But I'm sorry I have to refuse because I have to leave to take care of my child. She's ill and I need to get out of Reservation. Now!« She stood in front of him and poked her finger in his solid chest. »Did you finally get that?«

»You have a child?« His grim look changed into a stunned one.

»That's what I said - yes!«

Understanding dawned. _Of course!_ He'd attack as well if someone tried to keep him away from an ill pup under his care. _Dr. Harris!_ A sick human cub needed medical care immediately! »I'll help you!« he said, spun on his heel and stomped over to the phone and picked it up. She saw him dialing a number but before lifting the receiver to his ear, he looked at her again. »By the way... What's your name?«

»Ashley,« she said baffled. »Ashley Hamilton«

»I'm Vengeance.«

* * *

»Are you fucking crazy?« Tiger roared.

»S-sorry,« the male stuttered. »I thought she was the reporter that bothered Justice for weeks. I wanted to scare her off. That's all.«

»By sending her to the Wild Zone, dumbass?« Slade bellowed.

»Dammit, Leo!« Justice snarled. »Since when do I need you to help me?«

Slade slapped the back of Leo's head. »This time your pranks went way too far.«

»Ouch! That hurt, man!«

»You deserve much more than that. Ask him.« Slade jerked his chin to Jaded who hardly kept his temper in check.

His body shook violently. He wanted to beat the shit out of Leo for putting his female in danger but Fury and Brawn blocked his path.

Bestial approached and pocketed his phone. »Valiant said the residents didn't see her but the only one he couldn't reach was Vengeance. His line was busy. He's now on his way to him.«

»What are we waiting for then,« Jaded said and headed for the door.

Bestial caught his upper arm. »You're sure as hell not going anywhere! You stay here with me. The mated males go after her.«

»I won't sit here twiddle my thumbs while...« _my female_ almost slipped from his lips. He cleared his throat. »...while Ashley is in serious danger,« he corrected.

Bestial's phone rang and he fumbled it out of his back pocket. »It's Valiant,« he told the others and frowned, but took the call. »Hi Valiant, we're all listening. What is it?«

» _I just received a call from Doc Harris. He informed me that Vengeance wanted him to go to Ashley's house and have a look at her daughter. She's ill. He's on his way to check on her._ «

»So the female is at Vengeance's house? Did he harm her?«

» _Probably not. The doc said he spoke to her and she was all upset about her cub. When he asked her if Vengeance touched her she said no._ «

»Sounds good so far,« Slade said.

» _Should I wait for you or do you want me to handle it myself?_ «

»Justice and I are coming over,« Fury decided. »Vengeance can't fight all of us in case he refuses to let her go. Await us at Vengeance's. If she's not there, I'm going to track her.«

» _Okay! See you there!_ «

* * *

Valiant stood in front of Vengeance's house next to the golf cart that smelled of a stressed female. Nervously he waited for Justice and Fury to show up. Everything was silent. This worried him the most. If the female was in there she ought to be sobbing or begging him to let her go but... Nothing! A motor sound came to his ears. He turned and saw the lights coming closer quickly. Waving his arms, he directed them. Fury and Justice jumped out of the Jeep.

»Did you hear the female?« Fury asked.

»I don't even know whether she's still in there,« Valiant replied. »All is quiet.«

»Let's find out then,« Justice ordered.

They stormed to Vengeance's door and Fury hammered his fist against it. »Open up!«

» _Go away_ _!_ «

» _Vengeance? Behave!_ « That female voice belonged to Ashley Hamilton.

They looked at each other in surprise. Behave?, Valiant mouthed to the others and frowned.

»Vengeance? It's Justice! Open up or we crash the door! And you won't like it if we do – trust me on that!« He barely contained his rage.

» _There's no need to break down the door!_ « the female replied. » _It's open._ «

Valiant turned the knob and stepped in the house. As he entered the room, he spotted Vengeance curled up in a ball on the couch with the female next to him. His head rested on her lap and he cried. She smirked while she soothed him soft strokes.

»What's going on?« Valiant asked.

»I made a friend and I want a gravestone,« Vengeance sobbed.

» _A what?_ « the three males shouted unison.

»A gravestone for my dead mate,« he sniveled. »I'll place it behind my house so I can talk to her.«

The males glanced at each other, knowing exactly who must have come up with the idea.

»Did your doctor take care of my daughter, Justice?« she asked. He nodded, still not believing what he saw.

Vengeance turned to look at her. »See? I told you I'll help.«

She smiled at him. »Yes, you did. Thanks. However, I have to go now. I'm sorry.«

»I know... Your cub needs you.« He got up and wiped the tears from his face. »But you must return soon.«

Ashley took his big hand and gave him a squeeze. »I promised to bring in some brochures of gravestones. I always keep my word,« she said, her voice soft.

He nodded with a slight smile but suddenly his head jerked to face the other males. »You better protect my new friend or I'll snap your necks!«

»Vengeance!« she snubbed. »If you want to make friends, you never ever threaten them.«

»Come back soon and bring your cub along,« he told her.

» _And..._ You _don't_ order friends around,« she said sternly. »You ask them.«

Vengeance cleared his throat. »When will you return?«

She smiled. »That's better... In a few days I think. I have to take care of my daughter and get the brochures for you. Then I'll return.«

She let go off his hand and crossed the room to the other males. Vengeance waved her good bye and they left. The moment they reached the Jeep, Fury rubbed the back of his neck and breathed deeply. »What the fuck was that? What happened to him? How did you do this?«

She shrugged. »I lost my way and knocked on his door. He dragged me in and babbled something about wanting to mate me. I yelled at him I needed to see my daughter.«

»You yelled? At Vengeance?« Valiant asked, his amazement obvious. This female seemed to have no idea of the danger she just faced.

She nodded. »The moment he heard she's ill that was his only concern. He called your Dr. Harris.«

»And what about the gravestone?« Fury wanted to know.

»Well, he told me about his dead mate and started crying. We have that in common. I too lost my mate all of a sudden. Like him, I don't even had a body. But I have a gravestone to go to with my daughter and talk to him. I thought this might help him as well.«

»We have a mated couple who suffered the loss of their previous mates. They didn't reach him at all,« Valiant interfered.

»And I can tell you why,« she said. »They were prepared for the loss - Vengeance and I were not! We didn't see it coming. It just happened. He mentioned Dana and Mourn trying to make him talk but you can't compare their fate to ours. Even when you know your mate is bound to die you surely never give up hope, however small. You've got something to cling to, while our lives changed within a heartbeat.«

The males silently watched her, letting the words sink in.

Suddenly Justice's lips twitched. »You steadied an unstable male with a gravestone. Kinda ironic.«

She smirked. »I must confess I am very...« She paused, brows furrowing, searching for word.

»Manipulative?« he helped her out and arched a brow.

»Persuasive!« she corrected and winked at him.

Justice gestured to the Jeep. »Dinner is cancelled. Let's get you home to your daughter.«


	4. Chapter 4

They took Ashley to the motor pool. Fury halted the Jeep near a SUV without any NSO signs. A tall figure awaited them. _Jaded!_ There he stood with arms crossed over his broad chest. Her heart skipped a beat as he approached the Jeep and held out his hand to her, helping her climb out of the back seat.

»Thank you,« she smiled.

»Nice to see you again, Ashley,« he replied without returning her smile.

The human driver opened the backdoor of the SUV. »I'm Shane. Nice to meet you.« He gave her a grin and sat in the driver seat. Ashley got in the back and was stunned as Jaded seated himself next to her, slamming the door close.

»I'm taking you home if you don't mind,« he said sternly.

Somehow, she managed to shake her head. No, she didn't mind! Not at all. The SUV started and they were on their way. No one spoke and the silence grew heavy. She glanced at Jaded who refused to look at her and stared out of the window.

»Is it just me or are you fuming about something, Jaded?« No reaction. She snorted. »Fine! Let's not talk.«

»You could've been raped or even killed,« he suddenly grumbled.

»And who are _you_? My mother?« she snapped. »Fact no.1: It wasn't my fault. Fact no.2: Vengeance was being helpful and I gave him my word to come back as soon as possible, and I'm damn not planning to break it! Fact no.3: As a district attorney, I've talked to desperados that make Vengeance look like a kindergarten kid. But thanks for your concern.« She leaned back and crossed her arms. »Besides... Vengeance told me what he did to some of the females. I mean... Trying to force them to mate with him and so on.«

»You don't get the point, do you?« he yelled. »He was trying to mate _you_! And he didn't just want to put a ring on your finger, trust me on that!«

 _Oh, bite me!_ _This day's sooo messed up!_ Closing her eyes, she started massaging her temples. The defense at court really pissed her off; her little one was sick; she lost her way on Reservation and ended up with a 200lbs baby crying on her lap. The last thing she needed was a scene! She struggled hard not to lose her temper and turned her head to face a grim looking Species male. »I had a bad day and I'm awfully tired but perfectly fine! Can we change the subject now? Please?«

»No!« He crossed his arms. »I'm not through with you yet.«

»Ah! Come on guys.« Shane grumbled and slapped the steering wheel. »You're fighting like my parents and they're married for thirty-five years now. You're really giving me a headache.«

»Then just stay out of it, son!« Jaded snapped.

A second of stunned silence followed before they all burst out in laughter. This finally broke the ice.

»I'm sorry I lost it,« Jaded still chuckled and wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. »But when I heard you accidentally ran into Vengeance I was worried to death.« _Anyone but him_ _, was my first thought._

»I understand,« she gave him a reassuring smile. »But I think I baffled him by yelling at him.«

»And probably by your appearance,« Shane added. »I guess your height and attitude reminded him of a Species female. And no male wants to mess with a raging female.«

She looked at Jaded and saw him shrugging. »True!«

»Here we are, folks!« Shane parked the SUV.

Ashley saw Karen, the babysitter, standing in the doorframe and talking to an older man. The doctor she assumed. She hurried out of the car.

»Dr. Harris? How's my daughter?« she asked, looking down on the much smaller man.

»Your daughter is well so far, Ms. Hamilton,« he said with a smile. »She's just caught a little cold. She's asleep now.« He handed her his card. »Please don't hesitate to contact me, when she's not getting better within the next three days.«

Jaded approached. »Thanks, doc.« He shook hands with him.

»You're welcome, son!« he smiled and left.

Karen shifted her stance. »Can I go now?«

»Of course... thanks for taking care of Hope.«

Karen left immediately and Jaded followed Ashley into the house and glanced around. He liked it. _Quite stylish but tasteful!_

»Make yourself at home, Jaded. I'll be right back.« Ashley kicked off her shoes and hurried up the stairs but paused half way up and turned to him, blinking. »I'm sorry. I'm a terrible host. Would you like something to drink?«

Jaded followed her and grinned. »No thanks. I'm fine.« He touched the handrail and his fingertips inadvertently landed on hers. A jolt of electricity shot through him. His gaze met hers and the world stopped turning.

»My girl,« she said and bit her lip.

»I long to see her,« he answered. His hand slid forward and cupped hers.

»So come and meet my daughter.« Smiling, she took his hand, led him up the stairs and opened the door to her daughter's room.

They approached the bed. Hope slept tightly with her tiny fists resting near her head with messy dark blonde curls. The sight of her almost took his breath away. He'd never seen anything as beautiful as her. The picture of peace and innocence – that's what she was.

»She's perfect,« he whispered.

Ashley nodded. »She is.«

Long seconds ticked by, while he watched her sleeping. _Mine!_ He didn't care who fathered her. She was his! Just like her mother.

Ashley softly squeezed his hand and led him out the room. After closing the door, they stared in each others eyes.

»I guess you should leave,« she muttered.

He came closer and his eyes roamed her face. »Do you _want_ me to leave?«

»No… but we just met.« Her fingers entangled with his and she swallowed. »We shouldn't do this. This is crazy, Jaded.«

»No, it's not. It's magic. And you're a witch,« he reminded her. »I'm under your spell. It makes me want to kiss you.« His eyes rested on her full lips.

»I haven't kissed for years. I probably forgot how it's done.«

He cupped her face and brushed his lips over hers. »Then just enjoy the show. And join the performance whenever you wish.«

His tongue slightly caressed her lips and begged her to open up for him. As she did, he slid his tongue inside her mouth and started his seductive game.

 _Oh, Father help me!_ This guy knew how to kiss! And he smelled so good! A woody fragrance lingered on his skin and mingled with his own scent to something utterly sensual.

He broke the kiss and nuzzled her cheek, his hot breath fanning her skin. _Hell!_ It's been four damn years! Yet she felt desire again - and it was wonderful to be a woman! His hands slid up her body. Moaning, she arched her back. He pressed against her and she felt his erection. Even if she'd only be a one-night-stand for him, at least she'd have felt alive again for a few hours.

»I really have to leave or we'll end up naked and all over each other,« he murmured in her ear.

»I want you all over me,« she whispered.

 _That's it!_ His control only went so far. He slammed his lips down on hers and kissed her hungrily. Who was he to deny her pleasure? Just as she started tugging at his shirt, his brain went back online. _Oh, shit!_ He had no condoms.»Protection,« he mumbled at her lips.

She pulled back her head to look at him and blinked. »I don't have any diseases.«

»Never suspected you to have any, baby. Nor do I but…« He sighed and pressed his forehead against hers. »There's something I have to tell you.« Another deep sigh. »The rumors about us being sterile aren't true. In fact almost all mated couples have kids. I suppose you're not on the pill and if you're not interested in having my baby right away, we need protection. And I don't have any condoms at my disposal. Sorry…« She stared at him with a strange expression he couldn't read.

»You said you love children. Do you plan on having your own?«

»I do… eventually,« he replied honestly.

Ashley avoided his gaze and the silence stretched between them. He frowned. »What are you trying to hide from me?«

»When Hope was born there were some complications,« she said with a shaky voice.

He arched his brow. »And?«

Instead of an answer, she closed her eyes.

»Look at me, Ashley!« he ordered and her eyes snapped open. »Just tell me straight away, what you want to say. I'm not good at putting your human pieces together. Remember, how I screwed up when we were sitting at the bar?«

»I…« She stared into his striking green cat-like eyes.

»You what?«

»I can't have children anymore,« she whispered.

His features softened and he smiled patiently. »You really don't know much about Species, do you?« She shook her head. »The point is that we become addicted to the females we love and that's just what's happening to me. Fury once almost crushed his mate by rubbing his body against her because he needed to get rid of the stench of another woman who tried to kiss him. Children are not important, only you are. I love you, Ashley. You stir my senses in a way I never thought possible. I want you as my mate. I did already when we were sitting at the bar but it finally hit me when I almost had a heart attack because of Vengeance. I not only want your body but your soul as well. I want the business woman and the mother. I want to take you to bed and taste you. I want you beneath me and look into your eyes while I make love to you slowly and hear you moan. I want you on your hands and knees in front of me and leave my mark on you while you scream my name. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms and wake up the same way.« He drew her close. »And I want your daughter. She's the bonus! I want to see her grow up. And I can't wait for her to yell at me that I'm completely ruining her life if she can't have that tattoo at the age of thirteen. And I want to walk her down the aisle one day and hand her over to the male she chose and threaten him to let him suffer before I rip his head off if he dares to ever make her cry.« She laughed slightly at his joke and he grinned back at her. »I'm offering you forever, Ashley. I don't need six months to be sure. Since I danced with you, you're deeply embedded in my heart. Your happiness is my first priority. Will you marry me? Be my mate?«

She was stunned. »You're totally serious, aren't you?«

He shrugged. »Of course. I admit I'm a possessive prick. That's simply how my Species brain works. I couldn't leave you even if I wanted to.« He looked into her eyes and hoped he wouldn't scare her away.

»What if I don't love back?«

»I do know you _like_ me,« he grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. »You like to talk to me and so do I. And we have good laughs together. Right now, I can even smell your arousal and it almost drives me insane. You might come to love me. We have a lifetime to share. Just keep in mind the proverbial patience of cats.«

She cupped his face and caressed his skin with her thumbs. A smile crossed her lips. »I bet you don't have the slightest idea how easy it is to love you, Jaded. You have a heart of gold and I've fallen in love with you already. I'd gladly accept your proposal if it was just me. But there's Hope. I want her to be comfortable with her new daddy. I'm sorry.«

»Don't be.« He held her tight and pondered what she said. »So if I win her over, you're going to be my mate?«

She chuckled. »Yes.«

»No problem,« he grinned and winked at her. »Ladies have a crush on me. I'll work my way into Hope's heart.« He pressed her against the wall. »Now kiss me once more. I'm feline and we like to play with our prey,« he groaned.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for sticking to my story until here. WARNING: This part is a sexier one! ;)

Feel free to review.

* * *

While their lips seemed to be glued together, she dragged him into another room. _Her bedroom!_ They started tugging at each others clothes and Jaded was tempted to shred hers to pieces. Breathing heavily, he broke the kiss with a stern look on his face. »I respect your condition pertaining to Hope but nonetheless I'm all in, Ashley. I want you to know that,« he whispered. »Please don't break my heart.«

»I'm all in as well,« she replied. »I entrust you my body and my soul.«

If possible, his cock got even harder. Her words deeply moved him. »I'm sincerely honored,« he smiled. »I won't betray your trust – not now, not ever. No other male will ever know how good it feels to be inside you.«

Somehow, they managed to get rid of their clothes and to collapse on the mattress before hitting the floor together.

As she lay in front of him, his eyes roamed her naked body. »You're so perfect, baby,« he rasped with husky voice and sat back on his heels.

Her fingertips glided down his solid chest and explored his defined abs. His green eyes sparkled in the dim light and his tanned skin had a golden shimmer. _So beautiful!_ »You're the perfect one, Jaded. I'm far from it.«

»Why do you put yourself down?« he asked, frowning as he positioned himself beside her.

Her hands caressed his broad shoulders and she smiled. »I'm not. You just refuse to see my flaws.«

He grinned back at her. »Then I guess I should inspect your body thoroughly.«

His amusement was gone as he discovered a long but faint scar on her lower stomach. That looked dangerous. Had she been attacked once? Maybe by one of those desperados she mentioned. »How did this happen?«

»That's just one of my flaws. I had a C-section,« she explained.

He bit his lip. They mentioned it in those classes he had to attend. Human females sometimes had difficulties with giving birth. »That's no flaw at all. It's a sign of love,« he whispered. »It shows me where Hope had been safe and protected.« Suddenly he was curious. »Would your mate considered it a flaw?«

»No,« she whispered, »Sam would have looked at it the same way like you.«

It was a relief to hear that. Her Sam was a good male then. She deserved nothing less. »Sounds like my type of guy to have a drink with,« he muttered as he slid down her body.

Ashley sucked in the air as he started to kiss his way along the scar… and deeper… and deeper… _Oh my God! He's not purring, is he?_ Moaning and slid her fingers in his hair, just giving in to the sensation. »Jaded!« She cried out and arched her back.

 _Yeah! That's it, baby._ This was paradise! She tasted so damn good and smelled even better. Better than all, he ever experienced. Now he crawled over her. Breathing heavily, he looked down on her. There was this glazed look in her eyes and a rapt smile on her face. She was his now! A contented growl rumbled in his chest. He just found heaven and wanted to stay there forever!

»Mommy? Is he hurting you?«

Startled they both jumped apart and grabbed the sheets. Jaded fell on his back, drew his knees up and clutched his groin. Snarling, he squeezed his eyes close and dragged one hand down his face. _Fuck!_ That hurt!

Fear and embarrassment shot through Ashley. He'd surely flee out of her bed as soon as possible and she'll never see him again. Her heart broke at that thought but she had to take care of Hope. She quickly approached her frightened daughter. »No, baby. He's not hurting me at all. I like what he does to me.«

»But he growled... and you looked strange...«

Ashley turned her head to Jaded. »I'm so sorry. I take her to bed. However, feel free to leave. I don't blame you,« she said sadly.

Rolling onto his side, he looked at her in surprise. Did she really think he'd run for the hills because her little one walked in on them? That was no big deal. They did far worse things to him at the testing facility. And Hope didn't do it on purpose. She was just alarmed he might do bad things to her mom. He saw her shoving _his_ daughter towards the door.

»No! Wait! She shouldn't be afraid of me. I want her to feel comfortable around me.« Ashley turned astonished. He smiled at her. _No, honey!_ _You won't get rid of me that easily!_ Finally, he made his way into her bed and he'd give her a hard time if she tried to toss him out of it. He held out his hand to Hope. »Come here, Hope. My name's Jaded. Please don't fear me,« he said with his deep luring voice. She hesitantly looked up to her mom who smiled at her and gave her a quick nod. Ashley urged her on softly and she approached until she stood in front of the bed. Hope watched him suspiciously and tilted her head. Lifting her into his arms, he cuddled her close against his broad chest and took in that she still was a little feverish and sweat coated her skin.

»I'd never do anything to hurt your mommy because I love her with all of my heart. I want you to know that,« he whispered.

»But you growled,« she insisted.

»I know. It's a bad habit and I'm sorry. But I can purr as well.«

Her eyes widened. »Really?«

Smiling, he nodded. »You want me to show you?«

»Uh huh…«

A deep purr made his chest vibrate and Hope giggled. »That tickles.«

»You like that, huh?« he grinned and she pressed her face against his chest, snickering again. »See? So does your mommy.«

»You're sure you're not mad at mommy when you growl?«

»I swear to you. We were just... um... playing games.«

Hope looked up to him with the big blue eyes of her mom. »You played games?«

He nodded. »Adult games.«

She turned to her mother. »But you looked hurt and you made strange noises.«

Ashley sat on the edge of the bed and soothed her daughter with soft strokes. »Well... When you're playing with your friends it sometimes gets rough, too. But you still enjoy it, right?«

Jaded saw Hope chewing her lower lip with her baby teeth and pondering what she just heard. »I'm sorry,« he heard her muffled voice.

He frowned. »For what?«

»For interrupting your game. Are you mad at me now?«

»No, sweetheart. Of course not.« He kissed her forehead and inhaled her scent. There was a faint smell of Ashley which he suspected lay in Hope's genes. But mostly he scented innocence. »Just as your mommy said, we got carried away. That's why we made those funny noises. We understand it disturbed you.« _And it won't happen again, even if it kills me._

Suddenly she crawled out of his arms and jumped off the bed.

»What's wrong? Where are you going?« he asked, afraid he might said something that scared her.

»I'm going to bed so you can play your game,« she said determined and darted out of the bedroom.

Jaded rose a little. »Should I...« The slam of the door cut him off. He winced by the bang. »...take you to bed?,« he added and shrugged. »No? Fine.«

»Welcome to the world of parenthood.« Ashley grimaced. »You wanted to know my daughter? Now you do.«

He watched her thoughtfully. »You really believed I'd run from you, didn't you?«

She shrugged. Tears threatened to spill. Looking down on her fingers, she fumbled with the sheet she was wrapped in.

»Listen,« he grabbed her hand and stopped her from twiddling, »I told you I want everything about you. This includes Hope. To be honest I already see her as mine. I know this sounds strange to you but I wasn't kidding when I said, I want you to be my mate.« He braced himself on his elbow. »And now promise me something,« he demanded.

»What?« she asked suspiciously.

»Never excuse yourself for taking care of Hope ever again. She always comes first. No matter what! And that's not up for a debate!«

»That's a promise.« Smiling, she reached out for him and raked her fingers through his silky long black hair. Her brow arched when she looked down on him. »Um... Adult games?«

He smirked. »I didn't know, how to explain it to her without scaring her even more. But I thought she might understand the game-thing.«

»Actually it was a wonderful idea but she learned a new expression. Now she will be running around, telling everybody that she caught her mother and her boyfriend playing...« Her fingers made quote signs and she rolled her eyes. »Adult games.«

He grinned, slid his arm around her waist and dragged her back into bed. »I don't give a shit.« He rolled her on her back, tossed the sheets away and urged himself between her thighs. »Let's play,« he whispered.

* * *

Jaded's eyes snapped open as he woke to a low sound he couldn't identify and felt a movement at his bare skin. First thing, he saw this morning was a mess of silky dark blonde strands. A sweet scent filled his nose. _Ashley_! He smiled and snuggled her close. She stirred a little and seemed to try get free of his hold.

»Don't you dare to crawl away from me,« he whispered.

Her eyes opened slowly and she rewarded him with a sleepy smile. »Hey lover boy... or should I say game boy?«

Her voice husky from sleep was pure sex and made his body respond immediately. He could eat her alive! And he would - eat her, that is! He cocked his head and started caressing her neck with his lips and fangs.

»Oh Jaded,« she moaned and grabbed his ass cheeks.

»Spread those thighs for me, baby,« he groaned and she did.

 _Oh God!_ This encouraged him to slide lower aiming for her breasts. Suddenly a giggle erupted behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Hope standing at the end of the bed with a cheeky grin on her cute little face. The sound that woke him must have come from her. Ashley tensed under him and he returned his attention to her. Her features spoke volumes.

»Relax,« he murmured softly. »I won't run. I love you, remember?«

Lifting himself off Ashley, he sat next to her, careful to reveal nothing else but his bare chest. »What's going on, sweetie?« he grinned and winked at Hope. »Are you feeling better?«

She giggled again and nodded before chewing on her lip. »Can I come into your bed?«

He opened his arms wide. »Come and hi-jack me, snuggle monster!« She jumped right at him and he fell back into the pillow with her. »Ah! She knocked me down!«

Ashley sat up smiling and watched Jaded struggle playfully with Hope. While their laughter exploded, she cautiously snagged her nightgown, put it on and slid out of bed. Still chuckling they turned their attention to her.

»Don't mind me,« she grinned. »I go and get our breakfast ready.«

Jaded lay flat on his back and held Hope up in the air. »What do you think, Tinker Bell? Should we help her?«

She snickered and nodded. Jaded put her down beside the bed and Hope ran to her mother who held out her hand for her to take. The second they walked out the room, he snatched his boxer briefs and Jeans from the floor and put them on but didn't bother with the shirt or his shoes. He followed them downstairs.

Smiling, he leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen; arms and ankles crossed, and watched Ashley and Hope interact. _Hell!_ He had a family now! Two beautiful girls!

»Are you hungry, sweetheart?«

»Yeah! I want pancakes,« Hope demanded.

»You'll get your pancakes but sit down. You're still ill.«

»Ah! Mommy,« she pouted.

»Don't Ah me, young Ms. Hamilton!«

He saw Ashley biting back her grin and he walked into the room, holding out his hand to Hope.

»Will you come with me, Tinker Bell? I need to talk to you.«

She smiled and bounced over to him. He lifted her in his arms and carried her into the living room. After seating himself on the sofa, he sat her on his lap.

»I told you that I love your mommy, remember?« She nodded. »Well, I asked your mommy to marry me and she said yes. Now I'd like to know what you think about it.«

She huddled against his chest. »I like that. You're nice.«

»Thank you, young lady,« he grinned.

She tilted her head. »What's your real name?«

»It's Jaded.«

She snickered. »Nah, that's no name. You're kidding me.«

Smiling at her, he shrugged. »I'm not.«

»Why did your parents give you that funny name?«

Brows furrowing, Jaded bit his lip. How should he tell this little girl? He decided to stick to the truth. »I picked the name myself because I never had parents.«

She blinked. »You're like me then? An orphan?«

»Yes,« he nodded. »Guess you could call me that.«

»That's sad.« She snuggled deeper into his arms. »I know what it's like to have no daddy but I can't imagine to have no mommy.«

»You don't have to worry about that. I'll take care of your mommy from now on and make sure nothing will take her away from you.«

»And you want to marry my mommy?«

»Yes, I do.«

»Are we family then?«

»I think so…«

»Can I call you daddy now? I never had a daddy.« Innocent eyes full of sincerity looked up to him.

Jaded felt his heart race up to an almost painful speed. He swallowed hard against the lump forming in his throat. »Of course you can,« he said with husky voice. »I'd be honored to be your daddy. I'll love and protect you for the rest of my life.«

She leaned in against his chest and he cuddled her close, blinking back the tears. What a change in his life! A few years ago, he had nothing that belonged to him. Not even a name but a fucking number. Now he had a beautiful mate and a cute little girl sitting on his lap who wanted to call him daddy.

»Are you sad?« she asked.

»No, baby... I'm all happy.« _You have no idea how damn much!_


	6. Chapter 6

»Let me put this straight,« Slade said and raised an eyebrow, »you met her five days ago and want me to get the mate papers?«

Jaded rolled his eyes. »Which part of "I'm marrying her" didn't you understand?«

»Oh, I perfectly understood. It's just that human females aren't usually this quick as I experienced.«

Jaded collapsed on a chair in Slade's office. »Ashley's different. She says life taught her never to wait.« He looked out of the window and grew silent for a moment before meeting Slade's gaze again. »We talked about it thoroughly. She's aware of the consequences and that being a Species mate might affect her career. In fact, she's ready to quit and start working for the NSO.«

Slade wasn't convinced. »She comes with a child. That's a whole different story.«

»I know. Did you ever feel frightened and excited at the same time?« A soft smile appeared on Jaded's face. »Hope wants to call me "daddy" when I married her mom. You're right. This changes everything.«

»I see.« Slade watched him for a few seconds. »I take it you're serious about it.«

Jaded just nodded. He sure as fuck was!

Slade sighed. »Alright… I'll get the papers ready within the next few days.«

»Thanks,« Jaded smiled. »I appreciate it.«

»You said you're going to see Vengeance?« Slade asked grinning, changing the subject. »Fury said something about brochures of gravestones. I assume that's the reason, isn't it?«

Jaded gritted his teeth. »Yeah. Ashley is waiting in the Jeep with Hope. Did I mention, I don't like my girls to meet him?«

»I can imagine,« Slade smirked.

Jaded shrugged. »Ashley promised to come back. I really tried to talk her out of it but…«

Slade chuckled. »Human females can be stubborn as fuck. Just get over it. The sooner – the better!«

* * *

Vengeance stood on his porch and leaned against a pole as Jaded's Jeep arrived with Ashley and Hope. A smile crossed his features. She came back! _Just like she promised._ And she brought her little one along. As Hope scooted towards him, he walked down the steps and crouched in the grass so he won't frighten her.

She stopped close in front of him. »Are you Vengeance?«

He nodded. »I am. Nice to meet you, Hope.«

»Nice to meet you, too.« She tilted her head and her curious looking dark blue eyes met his ice-blue ones. »Can you purr? Like Jaded?«

Jaded threw his head back and burst out in laughter.

»Hope!« Her mother approached quickly with a deep frown. »That's not nice! Vengeance isn't a kitty cat.«

Vengeance ignored Ashley and smiled at Hope. »No, little one, I can't purr because I'm canine, not feline. But I can howl. That's fun as well. I'll show you later.« He winked at her. »I've got cookies and milk on the table waiting for you.« Hope squeaked and ran inside.

Ashley shook her head. »I'm so sorry, Vengeance. She's a child. It wasn't her intention to offend you.«

»No offense taken, Ashley. Don't worry.« He rose and sniffed slightly, his eyes wandering to Jaded. »I want to have word with Jaded if you don't mind,« he suddenly said. »It won't take long.«

She shrugged. »No problem.«

Vengeance waited until she entered his house and closed the door. Immediately he gripped Jaded's throat and pushed his back against a tree trunk.

Jaded gasped for breath. »Have you…lost…your mind? Release me,« he croaked, clawing at the wrist of the hand choking him.

»She reeks of your stench, so there's no doubt you shared sex with her,« Vengeance hissed and narrowed his eyes. »She's my friend and you better be serious about her. Because if you hurt her I'll hurt you. Am I clear?« He came close and eyed him, while Jaded's face slowly turned blue. »Now tell me… Are you serious?«

»I am... Told Slade… get… mate papers...« Jaded groaned. »Let… me go...«

Vengeance loosened his grip and Jaded slapped his hand away from his throat. He bent forward, placing his hands on his thighs and coughed. The door opened and Ashley stepped out.

»If one of you wants any cookies you better be quick or Hope will eat them all.« She paused and frowned. »Is everything fine over there? Are you having trouble?«

Vengeance grinned broadly and patted Jaded's back. »No, we're good, aren't we?«

Jaded managed to straighten himself and nod. Vengeance gave him a light shove, which made him stumble and almost fall. He watched Vengeance pass him by with a big smile, walking up his porch and closing the door behind him and Ashley. _Hands off my female!_ , Jaded wanted to shout after him but his vocal cords refused to work. He still had trouble breathing.

The door opened again and Vengeance's mean grinning face appeared. »You coming or what?«

 _Asshole!_ Jaded glared daggers at him. Vengeance was going to pay! _One way or another…_ As he finally entered the house he was taken aback by the scene. Hope sat on Vengeance's lap, while she raved about him being her daddy soon. Never before had he seen this crazy fucker as relaxed as now. _Puppy protection!_ Jaded couldn't help but grin. Hope simply twisted Vengeance around her little finger. Nevertheless, Jaded felt tense. Vengeance tried to touch his mate! That didn't sit well with him at all. But for Hope and Ashley he tried to put a good face on the matter – just for them.

* * *

The sun was already setting as Ashley said good-bye to Vengeance. When Jaded headed for the Jeep, Vengeance grabbed his upper arm.

»Thanks for bringing your females, Jaded. This means a lot to me.«

He scowled. »Don't thank me. In fact, I didn't have a say in that matter. Otherwise, they wouldn't have come anywhere near you, trust me on that.«

Vengeance lowered his gaze. »I know,« he mumbled sadly, letting go off Jaded's arm and turning towards his door, »believe me, I know.«

After the door closed behind Vengeance, Jaded remained frozen to the point. Deep inside himself, he felt sorry him.

»Jaded?« Ashley's voice dragged him out of his thoughts and he smiled in response.

»Coming!«

* * *

Hope was sooo bored! She looked at all the adults around her. Most of them were busy congratulating her newly wed parents. She started scooting through the crowd until one of the males caught her attention. He didn't notice her first. She gaped up at him with her mouth open and wide eyes.

Justice tried hard to focus on the conversation with Jessie and his father-in-law but the little girl distracted him. Finally, he crouched in front of her.

»Why are you staring at me, Smurfette?« he asked with a grin.

»You're so pretty,« she lisped.

He blinked. »You think I'm pretty?«

»Uh-huh…« She nodded. »Daddy is pretty, too. But you're prettier.«

»Awww… Thank you, young lady.« _Jaded! You lucky bastard!_

Meanwhile, Jessie and her father stopped their discussion and looked down on them with a smile.

Hope bit her lip. »I want to ask you something.«

»Well then… Fire away.«

She motioned for Justice to come close. »Mommy said it's not nice to ask that,« she whispered, »so I want to say it in your ear.«

Now curiosity got the best of him. He tugged his long hair behind his ear and gestured for her to talk right into it.

»Promise, you won't tell mommy,« she demanded.

He held up his right hand. »I swear. It'll be our little secret, Smurfette.«

She cupped his ear. »Can you purr? Like daddy?« she whispered.

»I can,« he winked at her, »but don't you tell anybody or they won't fear me anymore.«

She frowned. »Why should they fear you?«

»Because I'm the boss,« he grinned.

She tilted her head. »So you want them to fear you?«

 _Smart gal!_ Justice shrugged. »Maybe…«

»I don't fear you,« she said. »You're nice.«

 _Oh boy!_ Wasn't that a cute little sweetheart?

»There you are, Hope,« Jaded said as he approached quickly, picked her up and sat her on his hip. »Did she bother you, Justice?«

»Not at all,« he said with a smile and stood. »She's such a darling, Jaded. I almost envy you. Promise me to take good care of her.«

»I surely will, Justice. She's mine forever.«

Justice gave him a curt nod and Jaded headed back towards his mate as Slade stepped into his path. Grinning, he handed him the keys for their new home and winked at him. »Have fun tonight.« Then he was gone.

Jaded frowned. He'd love to spend this night with his mate. There were so many places to have wild and mindless sex like the bathtub, the kitchen counter, the floor… but unfortunately there was Hope! He looked at the keys in his hand and then at the beautiful girl on his hip. Not that he complained but he didn't think it was selfish, wishing to have his female all for himself for the wedding night. Suddenly he had an idea. He drew out his phone and dialed a number.

* * *

Jaded slapped Vengeance's shoulder as he stood on his porch and smiled. »Thank you so much for babysitting.«

»Ah! I'm happy to help you out. And Hope is sweetest burden ever. She's safe with me. I'd willingly give my life for your cub.« He turned to look at a tired little girl sitting in his Jeep and beaming at him.

»I know, Ven.« Jaded hesitated a second, then drew him into a tight bear hug. »And I surely never forget that,« he said.

Vengeance hugged him back. »Whenever you need me I'll be there.« Suddenly he broke the contact and gave Jaded a hard shove. »Now, be mates.« He spun on his heel and headed towards his Jeep and jumped in. Hope squealed with glee as Vengeance drove of at a tearing pace. He looked after them as Ashley sneaked up behind him and slid her arms around his waist.

»The night is ours, lover boy,« she whispered and her heard the smile in her voice.

Thoughtfully he watched the lights of the Jeep disappear. »Do you consider me egoistic for giving Hope to Vengeance?«

She stepped in front of him and cupped his face. »Not at all. Hope likes Vengeance and spending the next days with him is like a big adventure to her.«

»Speaking of which…« he grinned, scooping her in his arms and carrying her over the threshold, »I'm feeling like a brave adventurer myself. There's so much to explore!«

* * *

»Are you fucking kidding me, Ashley?« Bob hollered. »You married one of those… those…«

»Be careful,« she hissed and narrowed her eyes, »you're walking on dangerous ground.«

He shook his head. »What about your career?«

She shrugged and kept on packing up her belongings. »I'll find a way to keep myself busy, don't worry.« She had no intension of hiding her sarcasm.

»You'll regret this. I know you will.«

Again he shook his head and left her office, which she was thankful for. It was early in the evening already and Jaded was probably finished with collecting all their things in her house. She could hardly wait to get away from Bob! As quick as possible she carried her boxes to her car and drove to her place. The moment she parked her car, Jaded opened the door with a huge smile on his face. She jumped out of her car and quickly walked up to him.

»Just in time,« he said. »They left with all your stuff a few minutes ago.«

»Fine! Let's go.«

He frowned. »Don't you want to have look at your house? Maybe I forgot something.«

She shook her head. »I trust you and I want to get out of here quickly.«

»Had trouble with Bob?« he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She avoided his gaze. »As always. He was being his usual asshole self and... Oh!« She bent down to pick up a photo, as he spotted a tiny red dot on his chest. _What the fuck?_ A laser-pointer was aimed at him! The moment it sank in that someone wanted to shoot him, Ashley stood in front of him.

»Ouch!« she winced and her hand touched her shoulder.

 _NO!_ His heart froze in his chest and he couldn't move.

»Ssssommmething stung mmme,« she slurred and her knees buckled. Now his brain started function again. He caught her in his arms before she hit the ground. His hand stroked her shoulder until he found a small dart and pulled it out. Sniffing at it, he recognized it immediately. _Breeding drug! No doubt!_ ... but it was mixed with something else he couldn't identify. Ashley's body went limp and her heart raced. He felt her temperature rise in no time and sweat coated her skin. Fear shot through him.

»Please don't die on me!« he shouted and tears blurred his vision. Somehow he managed to get his phone out of his back pocket and dial Trisha's number.

 _»Having trouble, newly wed?«_ Trisha laughed.

»She's been drugged! I think she's dying.« His voice cracked.

 _»What? Where are you?«_

»Her house! Please help me! She's unconscious and burning up with fever! Her heart races like crazy!«

 _»I send a team, Jaded. Calm down! Please! If her heart stops before we reach you I need you to do CPR. Understand?«_

»Yes,« he whispered. »Please hurry.«


	7. Chapter 7

_Saturday evening came way too fast for Jaded. The whole day, he'd either kissed lovely Ashley into oblivion or chased sweet Hope around the place. After he took Hope to bed, she insisted he'd read a bedtime story to her. Little Red Riding Hood was her favorite. He didn't get far, though. She fell asleep after he'd barely read a page. He blanketed her carefully and watched her sleeping with a contented smile on his face. Finally, he tore his eyes away from her and went downstairs where Ashley waited for him in the living room, grinning at him._

 _»Exhausted, lover boy?« she asked and winked._

 _»Nope!« He collapsed on the sofa and pulled her on his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tight and started nuzzling her cheek. »I was trained for persistency. I could easily go six rounds in bed with you.«_

 _She slapped his chest and chuckled. »Now aren't you full of yourself?«_

 _»Just a little bit, maybe,« he grinned._

 _Actually, he didn't have sex on his agenda – not yet. He wanted to know more about Sam. Because no sign or picture remained of him, by which Jaded could tell Sam ever existed. First, Ashley refused. It was still hard for her to talk about her dead mate. Jaded surely understood this but he was curious about Hope's father. He wanted to know more about the male that still owned Ashley's heart after all those years. So finally, she gave in and snuggled up against him on the sofa, showing him photos of Sam on the screen of her tablet. And Jaded liked what he saw! The pictures of them as a couple were beautiful. Enchanting! Especially the one where Sam kissed Ashley's swollen belly. There was pure love shining in the male's eyes. Although the human wasn't in the least what he'd expected. Since she told him Sam was a banker, he suspected him to be all serious – a pencil pusher. But on the contrary! Sam was full of muscles and tattoos, looking more like a badass biker than a banker. A force to reckon with. Someone, who would have protected his loved ones at all costs. Even though Ashley said his tats weren't on display when Sam wore a suit, his appearance was odd. And his hair was a mess of semi long auburn curls which he obviously passed on to his sweet little daughter._

 _»Oh!« Suddenly Ashley laughed out loud as she flipped through the pictures of her honeymoon on Hawaii. »And here you see Mr. Dumbass stepping on a sea urchin!«_

 _He loved the sound of her laughter and the way her body molded against him._

 _»Has Hope ever seen these pictures?« he asked and felt Ashley shaking her head._

 _»I wasn't ready for her questions,« she whispered and turned her head to look up at him with a smile. »But I think I am now.«_

 _Smiling, Jaded tucked her closer. »That's good,« he said. »Hope ought to know how much her father loved her and that I'll be there for her while he couldn't.«_

 _A tear slid down her cheek as she kissed him. »You're really special, you know that?«_

 _He shrugged. »Blame it on my past. Not knowing where you're coming from could gnaw at you. I experienced it firsthand. I don't want that for Hope.« When his girls were moving in with him, he'd hang a picture of Sam on the wall of Hope's room._

 _»Jaded?« A female voice reached his ears. Although she seemed familiar, she didn't belong here. And Ashley started fading from his arms!_ No! Don't leave me! I need you! I can't live without you!

 _»Jaded, wake up.«_

A small hand gently touched his shoulder and made him jump. He shot up in his chair and looked around. _A hospital room?_

»I'm sorry for startling you.« He looked in Trisha's worried face.

Reality crashed in. He was just dreaming about the first day he spent with his mate and daughter. The truth was, an assassin drugged Ashley and Trisha sedated her because her body had frequent involuntary muscle spasms. The medical staff called it an artificial coma.

»What time is it?« he asked, dragging a hand down his face.

»Almost 5 a.m.« Trisha forced a smile. »I suggest you go home and get some rest. You can't do anything for her at the moment. And don't forget about Hope. She needs her daddy now.«

He didn't forget her – not for a second. How could he ever look Hope in the eyes again? He promised her never to let anything happen to her mom. _I fucked up big time!_ He knew he'd have to tell her the truth somehow.

»You were right, by the way,« Trisha went on, »it wasn't only the breeding drug but something else. The good news is, we identified it.«

Jaded frowned. »And the bad news?«

She took a deep breath and avoided his gaze. »It's the one that made Moon go nuts.«

He blinked. Why use these drugs on him? Was he just a random victim or chosen on purpose? »Does anyone have a theory why they targeted me?«

»No, unfortunately not – not yet,« she admitted.

He watched his mate. Machines beeped steadily and she had tubes all over her. He took her hand. It was so cold! »Will she survive?« he asked, his eyes never leaving Ashley. »Please be honest, Trisha.«

She swallowed and bit her lower lip. »Actually, we don't know. Her body wasn't made for dealing with those drugs. And even for you the amount would have been an overdose. Someone really wanted to play it safe. She's got a fifty-fifty-chance. Not more – but also not less. And she's fighting. This might sound strange to you but every hour passing without an occurrence is a success.«

»I stay for another hour or two.«

She wasn't surprised. »Okay,« she said and left.

* * *

Vengeance sat in his armchair and watched TV for hours now. Absolutely senseless game shows but he didn't give a shit. He couldn't sleep. Not long after putting Hope to bed, he got the news. The only friend he ever had was in hospital and no one knew if she'd survive. He was… furious! Sad! Desperate! And he felt completely helpless. Every emotion he experienced when his mate was killed washed over him once more! He opened up his harness just a little bit and got hurt again.

»Uncle Vengeance?« a small voice lisped. The sheets in his bedroom rustled and sound of little feet came to his ears.

Turning, he saw Hope standing in the door, rubbing her eyes. He smiled. _No!_ This time it was different. Ashley wasn't dead yet and there was hope. Literally! »What are you doing here, little one?« he asked softly. »You ought to be sleeping.«

Her tiny feet tapped towards him. »I can't. I'm cold,« she pouted.

He picked her up, sat her on his lap, and started rocking her gently. »I couldn't sleep either,« he said honestly.

Sleepy dark blue eyes blinked at him. »Did you think about your mate in heaven?«

He sighed. _Partly…_ »Yes.« He wasn't going to tell her the whole truth. Thank God; or the devil; or whoever was responsible for this fucking mess; it wasn't his story to tell!

»When I'm old enough I'm going to be your mate, so you aren't sad anymore,« she declared and leaned in to him.

His heart melted. Cuddling her close, he kissed the top of her head. »No, little one. When you're old enough to get mated you'll have a young male to love and protect you. Just like it should be.«

»A young male? Like Noble?«

Grinning, he slightly pinched her cheek. »Yeah, it might be him. You like him, don't you?«

She nodded. »He's funny. He makes me laugh when he tries to roar like his grumpy daddy.«

»Grumpy, huh?« he smirked. »Don't let Noble's dad hear that.«

»Especially I like that Noble doesn't like chocolate.«

»Why?«

»Because there's more for me then.«

He chuckled. Life was so simple for her. »See? People say opposites attract.« She snuggled deeper into his arms and he cupped her icy-cold little feet with one of his big hands to warm them. It didn't take long until Hope fell asleep. Or so he thought…

»Oh, grandmother, what big ears you have,« she giggled.

She was in a playful mood. And he loved being her Big Bad Wolf. »All the better to hear you with,« he said in a high pitched tone.

»Oh, grandmother, what big eyes you have.«

He leaned down and his face hovered over hers. »All the better to see you with,« he growled.

»Oh, grandmother, what big hands you have.«

He started tickling her. »All the better to grab you with.«

She squealed and wiggled in his arms. »Oh, grandmother, what a horribly big mouth you have!«

His upper lip curled back, showing off his fangs. »All the better to eat you with.«

She surprised him when she threw her arms around his neck and pressed a wet kiss to his cheek. »Love you, Uncle Ven. You're my very best friend.«

He swallowed and his eyes watered. »Love you, too, little one,« he whispered.

* * *

Vengeance's eyes snapped open as the woods on his porch creaked under heavy footsteps. _Booted feet!_ So probably no Wilde Zone residents. He glanced at the clock on the wall. _Almost 7 a.m._ His gaze wandered to Hope, sleeping in his arms. Obviously, he dozed off at some point. A soft knock on his door followed.

»Ven? You awake?«, a muted voice asked.

»Yeah. Come in,« he responded quietly.

The door opened and Jaded entered the room. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds.

»You look like shit,« Vengeance finally said.

Jaded lifted an eyebrow. »Now aren't you a charmer?«

»Any news?«

Jaded shook his head. »Trisha said as long nothing's happening, it's fine.«

»Huh?« Vengeance frowned.

»I don't understand it either but that's what she told me.«

The silence between them stretched. Vengeance got up and approached with sleeping Hope in his arms. He handed her over to Jaded, carefully not to wake her.

»I'm going for a run. You can talk to her while I'm gone,« he said and left his house.

* * *

Bob Savage hung up. What he just heard sounded like a lousy B-movie plot. He drummed his fingers on his desk. Ashley _was_ attacked. That much was true. It was all over the news. But what the inmate told him was still hard to believe. And of course that scum wanted a deal for the information he shared. Unfortunately, there was only one way to find out the truth – by calling the leading Species man-beast and demanding a meeting. A disgusted look appeared on his face.

»Maybe I should get an anti-rabies inoculation,« he mumbled.

* * *

Justice and Tiger watched two lawyers catfighting each other and the volume level became uncomfortable for the advanced Species hearing.

»…and Mr. Tiger North is the head of security,« Simon finally introduced him.

»Oh! So this is Homeland Security on Animal Farm?« Bob sneered.

Tiger knew Justice wanted him as a backup because he was dealing with deliberate provocation on a daily basis and didn't lose his temper easily but… _There is a limit to everything!_

»Why can't I just tear his throat out and stop him from spewing his venom before my ears start to bleed?« Tiger muttered under his breath, his voice unable to catch for humans.

»Because you're not supposed to wipe the floor with a district attorney,« Justice whispered. »However, his attitude has me reflecting that it might be worth the trouble.«

Simon was pissed and paced the room, while glaring daggers at Robert Savage.

»I won't lie,« Bob ranted and addressed Justice, »I'm still thinking that Ashley's made the biggest mistake of her life by getting involved with you and your fellow creatures.«

Justice glowered at him and a muscle in his jaw twitched but he stayed silent.

Simon's face turned unhealthily red. »If you just came to insult my clients…«

»I didn't get where I am by being the nice guy next door, counselor,« Bob snapped. »To me they're just man-beasts! Animals! Period! I don't give a fucking shit who's targeting them. And Ashley's made her bed.« He paused and took a deep breath. »However, I always had a soft spot when it came to children. So I won't sit on my ass and watch that filth dragging Hope into the battle. She's innocent.«

»You're damn right she is,« Justice growled. »And I thank you for informing us.«

»I did it for Hope.« Bob stood.

»I'm aware of that, Mr. Savage.« Justice remained seated on purpose and leaned back in his chair. »Our head of security will escort you to the helicopter to take you back to Reservation.«

Tiger gave him an _are-you-kidding-me_ -look but stood back from voicing his anger. Instead, he opened the door and motioned for Robert Savage to follow him. After the door closed behind them, Simon shook his head and shoved his hands in the pockets of his dress pants.

»What a dickhead!«

Justice raised an eyebrow. »At least he had the decency to let us know what's going on.«

»You believe him?«

»Don't you?«

»I must admit it what he said does make sense,« Simon shrugged.

Justice took a deep breath. »To be honest, I'm blaming myself for the assault. After talking to Ashley about the Gift I should've had the prisoner transported to Fuller immediately.« He raked his fingers through his hair. »Instead I let other things distract me.«

Simon frowned. »How were you to know three weeks would matter? It's not your fault.«

Justice didn't answer. He knew Simon was right – and then again, he was not! It wasn't usual for him to shelve this. But he did! And there was no excuse for it. He had no idea how he should go on living with the guilt if Ashley would die. And additionally, according to Robert Savage, shit was about to hit the fan. _Great!_


	8. Chapter 8

Hello folks!

Sorry, it has taken me that long to update my story. But my spare time is limited. ;) I can promise you you won't have to wait another year for the next chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

If there had been anything positve comming from his captivity, it was his ability of reading people thoroughly. Steepling his fingers, Justice leaned back in his office chair and watched Simon pacing back and forth in front of his desk. He bit the nail of his pinkie. This has always been Simon's tell. He did that when they were in trouble. His restless pacing on top meant _serious trouble_ was an understatement. It took him about ten minutes to get a single grunt out of Simon.

»So?« Justice finally asked. He was done waiting for the human to get his shit together.

»We do have a problem.«

Justice rolled his eyes. »You don't say.«

»There's this gap,« Simon mumbled.

Justice frowned. »What gap?«

»In the last few days I went over the complete contracts that were made between Species and humans as you asked me to.« He spun around, now facing Justice directly. »You know... I wasn't working for you when the agreements were made. If I had been there, I would've found it.«

»What the hell are you talking about?« His patience was wearing thin.

»The Children and Family Services Division can get a hold on Hope.«

Justice jumped out of his chair. »No, they can't! Her mother is mated to one of us! That makes her Species.«

»Exactly. It makes the _mother_ Species but not the child,« Simon said, shaking his head. »I guess children just weren't in the picture. No one thought about them. That's the gap I mentioned. Ashley Hamilton is Species but her daughter remains human. Now that Ashley can't take care of her, the state is taking custody of Hope.«

Justice collapsed in his chair. This was a bitch-slap. »Jaded is not Hope's legal guardian?«

Simon shook his head. »I'm afraid not. And since she isn't old enough to decide for herself where she wants to stay the state did and is going to put her in foster care.«

»But why do they even bother? She's got everything she needs.« Justice just didn't get the point. Hope was taken care of and the Wild Zone residents adored her. Besides, Vengeance would shred anyone to pieces who tried to harm their Species princess. Additionally, Valiant's mate made it her mission to look after Hope's nutrition and made sure she was fed more than candy and icecream.

»They insist growing up around adult Species would lead to a developmental disorder.«

 _Oh shit!_ Justice felt the color drain from his face. »So, it's either revealing our secret or throwing that poor little girl into the lion's den?«

»That about sums it up,« Simon shrugged.

Justice hardly kept his temper in check. This was so not going to happen. Although, it wasn't really his decision. He needed to call a meeting with all the Species males who had kids, since it was their safety that might be in danger. But they didn't fight for their freedom and autonomy to cave in now! Hope was Species! Period! One thing their enemies didn't know was that some inmate had been eavesdropping and couldn't wait to pass the information on to Robert Savage. The plotting was so damn complicated that something just had to go down the drain. And he had yet to tell Jaded the whole truth about the assault. _Fuck! Someone kill me now!_

* * *

Smiling contently, Torrent watched the little girl busily picking daisies.

»Satisfied now?« Vengeance grumbled.

Torrent blinked. »What do you mean?«

Vengeance rolled his eyes. »Come on... It's fine when Valiant, Tiger or Slade bring their sons along to meet Hope. The kids are having fun together. But Bestial? Brass? And today you're dropping by. Who's next? Jericho or Cedar or both? Do you think I'm too dumb to realize that Justice ordered you all to check on Hope?«

»Errr...« Torrent bit his lip and shrugged. »Justice said, better be safe than sorry.«

»Yeah, and always beware not to piss off the wonderful Oz by using your brain,« Vengeance scoffed. »Isn't it funny that Jaded's trusting me with his girl, while you don't?«

»Look... I'm just following orders. It's nothing personal.«

»Nothing personal? Fuck you!« Vengeance bawled out, barely containing his rage. »If you consider me capable of harming a cub, you're nuts.«

»Uncle Ven!«

Luckily, Hope's call stopped him before he could say something he might regret. He looked up and saw her skipping towards him. Bending, he picked her up and sat her on his arm.

»Do you think Precious likes them?« she asked, shoving her little fist full of daisies right in his face.

Vengeance chuckled. Hope's outgoing personality compensated him for all the hostilities he endured. »She'll be delighted, little one.«

»Who's Precious?« Torrent asked suspiciously, lifting a brow. He couldn't remember ever hearing that name.

»My dead mate,« Vengeance explained. »Since she was my entire world that's what I used to call her – Precious.«

Swallowing, Torrent couldn't help the embarrasment kreeping up his spine, while Hope proudly beamed at him. »And I told Uncle Ven to put that name on the gravestone.«

»Yes, you did,« Vengeance smiled and kissed her cheek, »smart little thing, aren't you?«

Torrent watched Vengeance carrying Hope behind his house where he'd placed the gravestone. Vengeance was right! It wasn't fair to keep him under surveillance. He'd definitely have a word with Justice. As he turned to leave he heard a car approaching quickly. A Jeep came into view and Torrent picked up Jaded's scent. He decided to wait for him.

Jaded stopped the Jeep and jumped out. »Hi, Torrent. So, you're the assigned chaperon today, huh?«

Torrent scratched his head. »Yeah, I guess I am.«

»You're absolutely doing Vengeance wrong,« Jaded pointed out. »If Justice is having a problem with his guilt, he can wallow in self-pity all he wants but leave me and Vengeance out of it.« When Ashley was drugged he literally dumped Hope on Vengeance's doorstep. Vengeance never complained, knowing exactly what Jaded went through. After a couple of days they settled into a routine. Vengeance took care of Hope during the day, while he was with his little girl from afternoon until late morning. »I have no idea where I'd be without his help and I won't let any of you spoil it. So, just quit that bullshit. And yeah! I'm fucking pissed!«

»Trust me, Jaded. I'm going to put an end to it. I can see that this is wrong.«

»Thanks,« Jaded replied. »I appreciate that.«

Torrent noticed that Jaded looked damn tired. And as if worrying about Ashley wasn't enough, suspending his duty as a council member didn't seem to sit well with him. Although, Brawn, Cedar and Bestial were more than happy to help, Torrent knew that Jaded felt guilty for shoving his work at them.

»How's your mate?« Torrent asked, changing the subject.

Sorrow clouded Jaded's face. »Well... Physically she's recovered but the doctors can't tell if the drugs of damn motherfucking Mercile did any brain damage. Ask me again when she's woken.« _If she ever wakes..._ Squeezing his eyes shut, he started rubbing them with the heels of his hands. His eyes burned with tears but he had no intention of falling apart in front of another male. Additionally, he had to be strong for Hope, come what may. With a few deep breaths he regained control again. Opening his eyes, he met Torrent's intense gaze.

»Tend to your mate and daughter. That's all that counts,« Torrent finally said. »No one's going to bother you anymore. I see to it, personally.« He turned on his heel and quickly walked away as Hope scooted around the corner of the house with Vengeance on her heel.

»Daddy!«

»How have you been, my Tinker Bell?« Crouching in the grass, he opened his arms wide for her and she threw herself at him. He wrapped his arms around her and covered her face with kisses. _God!_ He loved his little girl! »You've been nice to Uncle Ven?«

Giggling, she nodded, while Vengeance approached with long strides. »Hope's the incarnated sugar rush,« he grinned. »Sweet enough to eat.«

»How's mommy?«

Jaded tried to keep his worries at bay and put on a smile. »She's still very, very tired. But she's getting better.«

»I've drawed pictures for her, daddy!« she announced.

Jaded thought his heart would burst with love and joy. »You did? Wow! Can I see them?«

She nodded again but suddenly frowned. »Is it _drawed_ , daddy?«

Jaded chuckled. »No, Tinker Bell, actually it's _drawn_. You've _drawn_ pictures or you _drew_. You'll learn along the way. Don't worry.« He winked at her.

»But I have to learn because I'm going to be a school girl soon,« she insisted. »I can't go to school and talk like a fucking baby.«

»HOPE!« Vengeance and Jaded's shout came unison.

Jaded raised his finger. »I don't want to hear you say that word. Ever. Again.«

»Okay, daddy.« Hope had shame written allover her face and bit her lip. »Are you mad at me now?«

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. »I'm not mad at you, I'm... disappointed. And you don't want that, do you?«

She started fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. »No, daddy.«

»Good!« he grinned.

»Can you purr for me?« she pleaded.

»At home, Tinker Bell. After dinner we cuddle on the sofa, watch some cartoons and then I purr for you. Deal?«

»Deal!« Hope giggled.

»Alright, scoot and gather your things. We're heading home.« Jaded stood and they watched her run into the house.

»Seriously,« Vengeance said still shocked, shaking his head, »I have no idea where she got that f...« Closing his eyes, he groaned and dragged a hand down his face. »Forest! Slade brought his son along yesterday and I left them playing all by themselves.«

Jaded smirked. »If Trisha finds out Slade taught their son the f-bomb she'll go wild on his ass.«

»I'm sorry, Jaded.«

»It's fine,« Jaded assured him. »You're doing an awesome job where Hope is concerned.«

»By the way... thanks for defending me.« Vengeance looked down at his boots.

Jaded arched a brow. »You overheard?«

Vengeance shrugged. »I'm canine.«

»I meant every word I said,« Jaded said and grabbed Vegeance's shoulder, giving it a shake.

»I must admit I kind of understand Justice's perspective,« Vengeance grimaced. »I don't have the best reputation when it comes to females.«

Jaded laughed. »Yeah, Uncle Ven! You really suck at dating.«

* * *

Tammy took the whole-grain cookies out of the stove and Noble kept circling around her.

»Can I take them over to Hope now?« he asked, his eyes sparkling.

»They have to cool down first and we'll be too late for today, honey. You'll meet with her tomorrow,« she told him with a smile and wiped her hands on her apron, »but you can get me the bowl from the living room, meanwhile.«

»Okay!« Noble darted out of the room. Smiling, Tammy shook her head. Getting in touch with with a girl did him good.

Valiant walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around his mate. »I'm sorry,« he whispered.

Frowning, she turned in his arms. »For what?«

»That I can't give you a little female like Hope,« he replied sadly. »I don't miss that longing in your eyes when we visit Vengeance.«

She cupped his face. »Nothing to be sorry for,« she smiled, »I won't lie, though – Hope is a gem. And I'd love to have a daughter to do all the girly kind of things with. Like making braids or dress her like a doll. But I'm not stupid. Even if we were able to have girls, there's only a fifty-fifty-chance.« She kissed his lips. »And I certainly wouldn't trade in our boy for a dozen girls.«

Closing his eyes with a contented sigh, he rested his forehead against hers. »I love you so damn much, my Tammy.«


	9. Chapter 9

»Can't you just get lost and let a desperate male wallow in self-pity?« Justice pleaded.

»Nope,« Breeze smirked. »Tell me why you're crying in your drink and you'll get rid of me.« She lowered herself onto the barstool next to him.

Justice dragged a hand down his face. »I'm trapped at a fucking dead-end. No matter what I'll do next, it's going to blow right up in my face,« he mumbled through his fingers.

Breeze frowned. »There's a solution to everything. You just need to sort things out.«

»I think I heard you say you'd leave me alone,« Justice grumbled, watching her from the corners of his eyes.

Wiggling her eybrows, Breeze gave him a mischievious grin. »I lied.«

»Apparently.«

»Now, go on and tell me. And quit snarling, Justice.«

»I shouldn't have postponed my decision on the bastard that held the Gift captive to go to Fuller in the first place.«

»Yet, you did,« Breeze pointed out.

»True.« Justice sighed. The information Robert Savage shared about that scum still made him shudder.

Breeze took a sip of her drink. »But that's not what's bothering you, is it?«

Justice massaged the bridge of his nose. »No... It's a long story.«

»I like long stories,« she grinned, resting her chin in her hand. »And you look like you need to get something off your chest. I'm a good listener.«

Justice couldn't help but smile. »You know you're a pain in the ass, right?«

»I love you too, pussycat,« Breeze purred, batting her eyelashes. »Let's get back to the point... What's going on?«

»The assault was aimed at Jaded.«

Breeze rolled her eyes. »Newsflash, Justice! That's the talk of the town.«

»I know that, okay?« he snapped. »But I need to start at the beginning!«

Justice was on the edge and she realized he had to do this at his pace. So, Breeze kept her mouth shut and patiently waited for him to continue. The silence stretched and after a couple of minutes had gone by she almost thought he'd forgotten about her. Suddenly, his hands curled into fists and he spoke.

»Carl Dravor is the mastermind behind the assault.«

»The asshole that held Baby captive?«

He frowned. _She chose the name Baby?_ He _really_ had missed a lot lately. »If you're talking about the new Gift – yes. The very same.« _By the way..._ He turned his head to look at Breeze. »How's she holding up?«

Breeze grimaced. »So-so. She heard what happened to Ashley of course and assumes it has to do with her, which eats away at her badly. Honestly, we're hardly making any progress.«

»Tell her to stop worrying. She isn't responsible for anything. That son of a bitch is.« Justice took a deep breath. »Anyhow... Dravor and his Mercile buddies wanted dirt on us. And when it became public that the district attorney in authority for Dravor's case was about to get mated to a Species, it suited them fine. The plan was to drug Jaded.«

»There are rumors it was overdosed breeding drug mixed with the one that made Moon go crazy.«

»That's correct,« Justice nodded.

»But why drugging Jaded? That doesn't make sense.«

»Oh, it so does! Ashely's co-worker Robert Savage's been told that they wanted Jaded to go feral and rape and finally kill Ashley in his haze.«

Breeze's eyes widened. »Seriously?«

Justice snorted. »Pretty diabolical, huh?«

»Uh-huh,« she nodded. »It would've made us look like volatile animals.«

»Yep! Very much so.«

Breeze cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. »So, it's a good thing that those jackasses drugged Ashley instead.« Seeing Justice's eyes widen in shock, she raised her hands in defense. »Sorry! That didn't come out right. I mean instead of looking like unpredictable predators we're overrun with sympathy but... Why do I have the feeling that's not the end of the story and we're not off the hook?«

»Because we're not. They're after Hope now.«

Breeze blinked. »You lost me.«

A mirthless laughter escaped Justice. »Due to our contracts with human authorities, Hope isn't Species.«

»No way...« was all Breeze managed to say.

»Actually, it's quite simple,« Justice shrugged. »In the agreements between humans and us, children were never mentioned. As it is now, Ashley's Species, while Hope's human. We've had so many humans working on the contracts I'm not surprised they were leaked to Mercile at some point. And now they probably bribed someone in the childcare department to push this on. I don't know... I, for one already received a certified mail telling us to hand Hope over to them until her mother is healthy enough to take care of her again. Until then, they want to put her in foster care because being around adult Species might be dangerous for her mental health.« He rolled his eyes.

Breeze didn't respond. She stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. And by the look on her face, he assumed he probably had.

»Cool, isn't it?« he growled. »But there's more.«

»Seriously?«

Justice nodded. »This is where Robert Savage comes in with his information. As soon as Hope's in foster care, Dravor's minions are going to kidnap her and use her as pawn for the freedom of all those Mercile highrollers we're keeping in Fuller – including Dravor himself of course.«

Breeze swallowed. »Can't you just ignore the letter? I mean... Humans can't invade Reservation to get their hands on Hope, can they?«

»Of course they can't. But if we ignore the decree they'll very likely be accusing us of holding Hope captive. Which will probably end up in turning the public opinion against us.« He shook his head. »It's a fucking dilemma.«

Breeze bit her lip. »You're not planning on handing Hope over to them, are you?«

»No fucking way. We'll be fighting tooth and nail for Jaded's girl. Our law team's on it, negotiating.«

»What about your father-in-law?«

»Jessie immediately talked to him and he started to pull some strings and call in favors but...« Sighing, Justice shrugged. »Mercile's still way too strong. It's a fucking hydra!«

»Does Jaded know?«

»Nope! That's still on my agenda,« Justice growled. »Lucky me!«

* * *

An awkward silence greeted him and he was stared at blankly after he finished his speech. Justice's eyes wandered around the table. They'd all come. Fury, Slade, Brawn and all the other males with children.

»Honestly, brothers,« Justice carried on, »if you decide that the safety of our own kind comes first then I'll cave and hand Hope over to the humans. It's your call.«

He heard someone clear his throat. Every single male turned his head in the direction. He was surprised to see Smiley raising his hand to get the other's attention. Justice gave him a nod.

»You know we Primates don't imprint like the rest of you. But that doesn't mean I don't know what Jaded's going through. If it happened to my Vanny I'd probably gone insane by now. I can hardly comprehend how he's finding the strength to keep going.« Smiley paused and saw the males nodding in consent. »I don't know about you but I'd never be able to look Jaded in the eyes again if we sacrifice his daughter for our safety. When this reveals our secret in the progress – fine!« He shrugged. »So be it. It's going to come out anyway when we start building schools and hire teachers. So if you want my blunt opinion,« he pointed his finger at the door. »Let's go out there and rip those fuckers a second asshole for almost killing Jaded's mate and threatening to take his daughter!«

»Smiley's right,« Slade said. »And if I'd come home telling Trisha we'll give up on Hope she'll flay me alive.«

Fury grinned. »Sal's pestering me every fucking day to meet Hope. My Ellie's gonna bite my head of if I dare to break my boy's heart.«

»Same here,« Tiger chimed in, smirking. »Zandy would very likely dump my sorry ass in front of the men's dorm for good. But that's not really the point. I was present when Robert Savage filled Justice in. And it still pisses me the fuck off that Mercile's not above using an innocent little girl for blackmailing us.« He slammed his fist on the table. »We just can't let get them away with it.«

There were nods and murmurs of agreement in response.

»I know not everyone in here met Hope yet,« Valiant spoke up. »But let me assure you that girl's a real treasure. And I don't give a shit what the contracts say. Jaded loves his little one as if she was his own. When the humans succeed it'll destroy him. Not gonna happen! And since I'm authorized to speak for all the Wild Zone residents... I dare say as far as we're concerned she's family. If the humans want to take her from Jaded they have to go through us. Enough said!«

Taking a deep breath, Justice leaned back in his chair. »Thanks everyone. I really counted on you to stand up and fight for Jaded. I'd have lost my faith if that weren't the case. Next step for me is to fill Jaded in.«

Slade leaned forward. »Let me do it, Justice. You're not his favorite male at the moment and you know why,« he winked.

Justice smothered a grin. »I'm not going to argue.«

* * *

»They _what_?« Jaded hands clenched into fists, pacing Slade's office. He was ready to hit the roof. Of course he knew the assault was aimed at him. There'd been a laser pointed at his chest after all. But this? »How long does Justice know?«

Slade shrugged. »It's been a while, I guess.«

»Maybe he should have grown some balls and tell me?« Jaded shouted.

»Actually, he wanted to talk to you but I volunteered. I figured the stunt he pulled by controlling Vengeance didn't sit well with you.«

»Damn right!« Stopping his pacing Slade's desk, Jaded crossed his arms over his broad chest. »I don't want him to barge in! With Vengeance's help I've got the situation handled!«

Slade kept his cool. »Calm down. If your little one would happen to see you now, you'd scare the living shit out of her.«

Collapsing in a chair, Jaded closed his eyes for a few seconds. Slade was right though. No way in hell he wanted his precious little daughter to fear him. This helped to ease his anger. »I think I'm in control.«

»Good! I can imagine how hard this is for you to come to terms with but the law team's already on it. You know they're trustworthy. They'll find a solution. And come hell or high water... Hope's Species. We all have your back, brother!«

»Thanks.«

»Not for that.«

Grinning, Jaded met Slade's gaze. »Did you know you're son dropped the f-bomb in front of my girl and she then graced me with her new learned word?«

»Seriously?« Slade slumped in his chair. »Fuck!«

»Yup! That's pretty close,« Jaded nodded slowly.

»Why he's always picking up the cusswords so quickly is beyond me,« Slade said, shaking his head.

»Well... I'm not surprised,« Jaded smirked. »He's your son after all.«

Slade grimaced. »Thanks.«

»Not for that,« Jaded winked.


End file.
